Dental and orthopedic disorders occur very frequently, so in the event of said disorders fast and reliable diagnosis and directly initiated therapy are of particular importance for the healing process.
The diagnosing of disorders of said type is supported by imaging methods, with an X-ray or CT examination frequently being performed for the relevant purpose. What, though, is disadvantageous is that CT examinations can be carried out only on a patient who is in a lying position; moreover, a CT device is a relatively expensive examination modality requiring a large amount of space.
For examinations of the cranium or teeth and for orthopedic examinations there are already X-ray devices that enable an examination to be performed on a patient who is seated or standing. Said devices allow a plurality of projections to be recorded in a rotational plane and join the recorded images into a panoramic display. In other embodiments, what is termed layer recording is performed by means of said devices by producing a cumulative image of the object being examined through a rotational movement of an emitter and an X-ray detector. Instances of known systems can be found in EP 1 443 858 B1, EP 1 259 162 B1, and EP 1 452 137 B1.
It is also known how to record 3D angiographic images with the aid of an X-ray device having a C-arm. It is, though, then always necessary to inject a contrast medium into the vessel being examined. All known solutions suffer from not being able to provide a good display of soft tissue.